Dirigible balloon.



No. 887,443. PATENTED MAY l2, 1908. R. THAYER.

DIRIGIBLE BALLOON.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.26,1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

wml-:salas: INVENTOR: 6% www ff/f; WMZ

PATENTED MAY 12, 1908.

v No. 887,443.

R. THAYBR.

DIRIGIBLE BALLOON.

APPLICATION PILED 1320.26. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR; /fwsfa //f/ K WITNESSES: f ffl l, mlwumm -UNITED @STATES- PATENT @FFICIL .RUSSELL THAYER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DIRIGIBLE BALLOON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1908.

Application filed December 26, 1907. Serial No. 408,002.

To all whom it may concern: l Be it known that I, RUSSELL TnAriaR, olv

' Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania,

whereas, in ordinary balloons, 'there is no' equivalent for the reactive effect of thel water, and consequently suoli balloons must glo with the wind unless provided with more powerful propelling means. y

Therefore, it is an object of my invention to provide a balloon with means whereby a reactive force may be'created and controlled local to the balloon, at the will of the opera tor, so as to be similar in efl`ect to the reactive force of the water upon a marine veslsel, in that by properly utilizing it, the balloon may be progressed, solely by wind presi sure, in directions oblique with respect to the direction of the wind.

I have discovered thatl by utilizing the reactive gyroscopic forcemanifcsted upon any attempt to change the direction of the axis of a rotary body, in combination with the wind pressure upon a balloon floating in the atmosphere and carrying said body.; that the movement of the balloon may be variably determined and controlled by correlation of the force developed by the gyroscope and theforce of the air current. In other words, my invention provides means .whereby wind pressure tending to diverge a balloon from a predetermined direction 0f traverse may be variably opposed by the gyroscopic effect of a rotary body carricdfby the balloon, under control of the operator, so that such wind pressure may be utilized to propel the balloon, in directions oblique to the direction of the wind pressure, as in ordinary marine navigation.

.The gyroscopic reactive effect above con- `templated is due to the fact that a rotary body tends to maintain constant its plane of rotation and consequent direction of its axis of rotation, suoli effect being increased or diminished in correspondence with the speed of rotation of the body. However, it is important to note that to render sucli reactive effect available herein contemplated it is necessary to so mount the rotary body that its axis of rotation is free to oscillate, to a limited extent, in a direction parallel with the direction of said axis, for, when a body rotating upon a principal axis is subjected to a force tending to produce another rotation not parallel to the former, the resultant effect is such displacement of the axis of the origivnal'rotation, with respect to its support, as is most favorable to the parallelism of the two rotations, and, such displacement is at f lthe wind'pressure, and in any direction except that directly and approximately op- -posed to such pressure. v y

I aiirof course aware that gyroscopes have been employed for many years and in various arts to balance or maintain the level or equilibrium of structures connected therewith, and therefore note that the gyioscope element of my invention lias no such function or effect in the arrangement and operation which are characteristic of my invention as herein defined, has been proposed to provide a marine ves sel withgyroscopic wheels, but such wheels have been designedly arranged to maintain the horizontal planes of the vessel substantially stable, without opposing changes in.

the direction of traverse of theyessel.Y In other words, such devices of the prior art have been employed for a purpose radically different from that herein contemplated, and have been so constructed and arranged as to be incapable of the effects which charactciistic of my. invention.

My invention comprises the various novel .features of construct-ion and arrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

In the drawings; Figure l, is a side elevation of a balloon conveniently embodying my invention. Fig. Il', is an inverted plan vicw of the balloon shown in Fig. 'I. Fig. III, is a plan view of the car shown in Fig. Fig. IV, is'a transverse sectional view of said car, taken on the line IV, IV, in Fig. III.

In said figures g the gas envelop` 1, which .is of circular cross section, diminishing toward its stern, is conveniently connected by the bands 2. with the main frame 3. Said I ani also aware thatpit..

frame supports the car 5, and has the vertical shaft 7, which supports the'frame 8, of the sail `9,: inifa vertical plane. Said san frame"-8,;com rises the/bearing 11,- mounted toslide on t `eboombar 13, soy that said frame :8, is supported for transverse oscillatory movement'with respect to the main frame 3. The rudder frame 15, is mounted to oscillate transversely on the vertical shaft' 16, in said frame 3. Said sail frame 8, is

' provided with flexible connectors 17, which extend around the pulleys 18, at theouter ends of said boom 13, to the rotary drumy 19, inthe car .5, and,y the flexible connectors 21 extend from the rudder frame 15 around the' pulleys 24, to the rotary drum .25, m said car. Said drums 19, and 25,-areirespectively provided with the hand wheels 27, and 28, whereby; said sail and rudder mayfbe yindependently adjusted to different angles witlr respect to the longitudinal axis of the balloon. j

Although I have shown the balloon provided with a sail and rudder which are adjustable with respect to the longitudinal axis of the balloon, at the will of the operator, as

` above described, so as to receive wind pressure in variable angular relation, it is to be Y having'V its exterior .converged toward its stern.

The rotary body 30, whose mass may be in any desired proportion to the mass of the balloon, is carriedby the shaft 31, which norf mally extends substantially horizontal and l parallel with the longitudinal axis of the baloon, and consequently parallel with the normal direction of traverse of the balloon. Said shaft 31, is mounted to rotate in the bearings 33, of the gimbal frame 34.-', and `the latter is provided with oppositely extending trunnions 35, having a common axis of oscillation' extending transverselyabove the center of gravity ofsaid wheel and frame. Said trun- `nions 35, lare journaled in the bearings-38,

and so constructed and arranged that the oscillatory movement of said body is limited to approximately fifteen degrees. Said bear- A ings are supported by the car, and may be adjusted and secured in variable relation with the longitudinal axis of the balloon, by

any convenient means. TheV rotation of/said body 30, may be effected and 'controlled7 by any convenient means. However, the form indicated, said wheel comprises tle armature of an 'electric motor having the field frame 40, carried by the gimbal frame 34, and

said motor is energized by suitable connec- Ytions with the source of power 4:1, controlled eef/,ese

by the switch mechanism indicated at It is to be understood that said body 30, may

be rotated atyariable speed, to produce and j control its gyroscopic` eiect, so that said effect may. be opposed toany force tending' to turnthe balloon from a path coincident with vitsflongitudinal axis,- and,- that conse'- quently" any Wind pressure upon the balloon,

so-received as to tend to change the plane of rotation and directionfof the axis ofsaid body 30, may be opposed bythe gyroscopicr effect' ofsaid wheel, so that such wind pressure may be utilized to effect the forward movement ofthe balloon ina direction oblique with" respect to the direction ofthewind, if desired, the direction of propulsion being also vari.

ably determinable, at the will of the operatu,y by adjustment of the angular relation of ysaid sail and rudder with respect to the .longitudinal axis `of the balloon.

I do not desire to limit myself tothef-"Iprecise details of construction and arrangement hereinl described, as various modifications may be made therein without departing' from the essential features of my invention, `asudefined in the appended claims.

I claim 1'. In a balloon, the combination with levi-'f tating means; of a rotary body having'its axis substantially horizontal; y and means sup-l porting said axis, permitting free but limited oscillatory movement thereof in a direction parallel with said axis; whereby wind pressure tending to turn the balloon. from a predetermined direction of traverse, may be opposed by the gyroscopic effect of said rotarybody, sothat such wind l"ressure may be utilized to propel the bal on in directions oblique to the direction of the wind pressure.' Y

2. In a balloon having'its longitudinal axis substantially horizontal, the combination with levitating means 5 of a rotary body hav# ingits axis substantially horizontal and di's posed transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the balloon; and means supporting the axis of said body, permitting free but limited oscillatory movement thereof in altitude; whereby, wind pressure tending to turn the balloon from a predetermined'direction of traverse, may be opposed by the gyroscopic effect of said rotary ody, so that such wind pressure may be utilized to propel the l balloon in directions oblique to the direction of the wind pressure.

3.' In a balloon having its longitudinal axis substantially horizontal, the combination with levitating means; of a rotary body having its axis substantially horizontal; means supporting saidL axis, Anormally preventing azimuthal movement thereof while permityting free but limited altitudinal oscillatory movement thereof; whereby, Wind pressure tending to turn the balloon from a predetermined direotion of traverse, may be'opposedg bythe gyroscopic eiect of said rotary body,

so that such wind pressure may be utilized to propel the balloon in directions oblique to the direction of the wind pressure.

4. In a balloon, the combination with levitating means; of a rotary body having its axis substantially horizontal; means supportinff said axis, permitting free but limited oscilatory movement thereof in adirection parallel with said axis; and, means adjustable with respect' to said axis, arranged to receive wind pressure in variable angular relation, whereby Wind pressure tending to turn the balloon from 'a predetermined direction of traverse, may be op osed by the gyroscopic effect of said rotary Ibody, so that such wind pressure may b'e utilized to propel the baloon in directions oblique to the direction of the Wind pressure.

' 5. In a balloon, the combination with a rotary body; of electrical means to rotate said body at such speed as to produce a gyrosco ic effect; and, means supporting said bo( y, so that it has a freedom with respect to an axis eccentric to the axis of rotation of said body, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a rotary body; of means to rotate said body at such speed as to produce a gyrosco'pic effect; and, means spporting said body, so that it has a freedom with respect to a horizontal axis eccentric to the 'axis of rotation of said body, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with a rotary body; of means to rotate said body at such speed as to producel a gyroscopic effect; and, means supporting said body, so that it has a freedom l with respect to a horizontal axis eccentric to and above the axis of rotation of said body, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadel hia, Pennsyl- Y.

Vania, this 24th,i day. of Decem er 1907. RUSSELL THAYER."

Witnesses:

EDWIN J. MoLE, IIIRAM BARNES. 

